Tent.



PATEN'IED` MAY 3, 1904.

F. H. GOTSCHE.

TENT.

APPLICATION FILED DB0.19. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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vPATEMED MAY a, 1904. 1

P. H. GUTSCHE.

TENT.y

A PPLIGATION FILED nso. I9, 1902.

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UNTTED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT Ormes..

TENT.

I SPECIFICATION flming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 758,642, dated. May 3, 1904.

Application filed December 19, 1902. Serial No. 135,843. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK HERRMAN GOTSCHE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Tent, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact descrip-- tion.

The objectv of the invention is to provide a portable tent of novel construction which is light, roomy, very strong and durable, is capable of erection very quickly in a stormproof vand reliable manner, and which'may be stably located on rocky ground as wellas on sandy or loam soil, the means for supporting the tent dispensing with ridge-poles and upright or inclined poles and numerous belaying-pegs usually employed in the construction and erection of tents.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and deiined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.`

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the impro ved tent erected for use. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the erected tent substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 8. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a detail of one of two similar tubular frames that are features of the improvement. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of another member of said frames. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a transverse brace that is a portion of one of the tent-frames. Figi 6 is a perspective view of an anchor-plate and connections therefor, which are novel details. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an anchor-hook employed. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view'of the erected tent, and Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional View substantially on the line 9 9 in Fig. s.

The improved tent comprises the followingdescribed details of construction: A fibrous cover 1() is provided,- having an area proportioned to the capacity of the tent of which it is a principal portion, and in atent of considerable dimensions the canvas material of usual width is strongly joined at the edges by strapped seams c. The portion of the cover 10 which is to inclose the main apartment of -the tent has a proper width to render it available as the top and sides of the tent. The side edges of the main portion of the cover 10 are parallel with each other, and from the ends of said side edges thecover is tapered edgewise, soA as to provide an angular extension of the cover at each end, as is indicated at 10l in Figs. 1 and 8. The tapered ends of the tent-cover are thus formed by tapering the several pieces of canvas material forming thesame edgewise toward each end from the terminations of the parallel side edges thereof and sewing them together at their meeting edges, these seams being strapped to insure durability similarly to the strapping of the seams that join the edges of the pieces of fabric forming the main portion of the cover.

For the convenient and reliable erection of the covering 10 10u to form a tent two similar arched frames are provided, each frame being preferably formed of tubular sections comprising two arched sections 11 and two straight sections 12. rl`he sections 1l of each supporting-frame may with advantage be formed of light strong pieces of pipe equal in length and similarly bent to form two halfsections of a semicircular arch. The bent sections 11 of each supporting-frame are detachably connected together by the dowel-pin 11, which is secured in the end of one arched section 11 and projects therefrom, said projecting end having a looseengagement within the adjacent end of the other arched section,as is clearly shownin Fig. 9. The two straight frame-sections 12 are also formed of pipe material, having an equal diameter to that of the arched frame-sections 11, and the latter are detachably connected by one end of each with a respective end of a straight frame-section 12 by a dowel-pin 11b, secured in one of the frame-sections 11 or 12 and projecting therefrom to loosely engage within the adjacent end of the opposedhframe-section, as is likewise shown in Fig. 9. The length of the straight vmembers -12 of each supporting-frame of the tent is such as will aiford proper heightto the i tent when it is erected, and to complete each IO` of said frames a bottom spacing-brace 13 is provided.

T he braces 13 are each formed of astraight tube, preferably of metal, havinga dowel-pin 13 formed or secured on each end thereof and projecting in the same direction ata right angle to the axis of the rod, these dowel-pins being removably inserted within the lower ends of' the upright frame-sections 12 when the frames are erected for service. To detachably connect the supporting-frames that have been described with the tent-covering 10 10a in a neat and secure manner, a casing 7), of canvas, of proper width and length, is formed or secured across each end of the main tent-covering 10, on the inner surface thereof', these similar casings 7) having such dimensions as will permit the free insertion of' a respective frame into and through the engaged casing, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 9. It will be seen that when each of the arched supporting-frames for the tent is inserted in a respective casing and the lower ends of the frame members 12 are connected together in pairs by a brace 13 the tent-covering will assume a distended condition when the lower ends of the parts 12, which may for convenience be designated as posts, are seated upon the ground, or upon a iooring if' this is preferred, and a proper means is employed for stretching the tent-covering.

One feature of the improvement embodies a simple, convenient, and reliable means for stretching the tent-covering into taut condition by an application of pulling strain at the ends of the two semiconieal end portions 10 of the tent, these details varying somewhat in construction to accommodate the nature of the ground whereon the tent is to be erected. Then the land is rocky, it is preferred to employ an anchor-hook 14 for each end of the tent, said hook being shown detached in Fig. 7 and applied at one end of the tent in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 7, the hook 14 is bent into loop form at each end, the larger loop serving as an anehor-fiuke for hooking upon a fixed ledge of rock, while the other end of the hook is connected with a ring or eye e or equivalent device secured at the extremity of the adjacent coniform cover portion 10a. At the opposite end of the tent-covering a similar ring or eye e is secu red, and a small tackleblock g and cord g' are engaged therewith, the cord also engaging either with another anchor-hook 14, that may be hooked upon a stationary projection, such as a rocky ledge, or, as shown in Fig. 1, a tent-peg /t may be employed in case there should be firm soil wherein the peg may be driven. It will be evident that if tensional strain is applied by pulling upon the cord g after the cord and tackle-block g are connected to the tent, as described, the tent-covering 10 10a will be stretched taut and remain in such condition if' the cord is belayed in the usual way.

If it is desired to pitch the tent where the soil is sandy, so that an ordinary tent-peg will not be firmly bedded if driven therein, it is of advantage to employ one or more of the plateanchors 15. (Shown detached in Fig. 6.) The anchor 15 consists of' a preferably circular metal plate from the edge ofI which a plurality of metal connections 71 of' equal length extend to a common center, where they are connected together in ring form, as at z". The anchor-plate 15 is of proper area to afford effective service, and to adapt it to anchor one end or both ends of the tent a loose connection is provided between the joined ends of the connections if on an anchor-plate 15 and a ring or eye e on the end portion lOlof the tent-covering.

The plate 15 is bedded in the soil deep enough to anchor it securely therein, as indicated in Fig. 8, and, if preferred, a similar plate may be employed to anchor the opposite end of the tent, or a tent-peg may be used if the soil is loam and will hold such an anchorage firmly. With either means for anchoringl the ends of the tent-covering in taut condition a rope or cord and (if necessary) a tackle-block are employed, so that if these parts are connected to the end of the tent-cover and upon the anchorage and the cord is pul1ed upon the tentcover will be stretched endwise and may be thus secured by holding the cord in its drawn condition by any suitable means. A guy-cord 16 may be used to brace the body of the tent against the force of wind-currents that may press heavily upon the weather side of the tent-covering 10.

When the guy-cord is employed as stated, its ends are secured at the crowns of the arched frames which support the tent -covering and the bight of the cord is loosely connected to a rope or cord g and tackle-blocks g as a means for rendering the guy-cord taut, and said cord or rope g', which engages the tackleblock g, may have secured engagement either with one of' the embedded anchor-plates 15, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or with a tent-peg L, or in case the ground is rocky a hook 14 may be employed as a means for anchoring the guy-cord and intervening tackle cord and block.

Aflap of fibrous material, such as 10", (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) is provided, which extends around the lower edge of the tent-coveringlO 10u and is thereto attached at one edge of' the same, the flap which reinforces the lower edge of the tent material being designed to conform with the inequalities of the ground-surface and seal the lower edges of the side and end walls of the tent against wind, rain, or snow.

The interior of the tent may be divided into a main living-room A and two end compartments A by the pendent curtains 17, that respectively hang from the top of the tent-covering 10 at or near the supporting-frames, and

IOO

the lower edges of said curtains may be weighted, if desired, so as to hold them in place, or,

if preferred, said edges may be secured by cord loops m or tie-strings upon the braces 13, as indicated in Fig. 2. If desired, the braces 13 may be utilized as supports for a floor, that may be of canvasor boards sustained at the ends by engagement with 'the braces in an obvious manner.

An entrance is formed in one end wall 10it by aperturing the same and closing the aperture with a pliable door 18, adapted when allowed to hang pendent to closely seal the dooropening. The end compartments Al may be used as storerooms, or one compartment having the entrance in its wallmay be utilized as a vestibule to protect the main compartmentA from the elements when the doorway is opened.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentw 1. A tent, comprising arched supports, a cover over the supports and having semiconical ends extending beyond the said supports, said ends tapering downwardly from the top of the tent and inwardly from the sides to the longitudinal center of the tent, and means connected with the extremities of the said ends for drawing the cover taut over the supports la pin at each end for entering the ends of the the top of the tent to the lower edge thereof.

and inwardly from the sides to the longitudinal center of the tent, and means connected with theextremities of the conical ends for drawing the cover taut over the supports and anchoring the tent. f

4; A tent, comprising an arched support 'formed of hollow sections detachably connected together, horizontal braces, each provided at each end with apin projecting at right angles therefrom and entering the ends of the supports, a cover fitting over the supports and having semiconical ends extending beyond the supports, said ends tapering downwardly from the top of the tent and inwardly from the sides to the longitudinal center of the tent, and means connected with the extremities of the conical ends for drawing the cover taut over the supports and anchoring the tent.

5. A tent, comprising arched supports, a brace connecting the ends of each support, a cover having semiconical ends, and curtains secured to the top of the cover at the junction of the body with the ends, the lower ends of the curtains being secured to the said braces.

6. In a tent the combination with tubular arched supports,.of braces for connecting the ends of each support, each brace, comprising a bar provided with a pin at each end for entering the members or' the supports.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK HERRMAN GOTSCHE.

Witnesses:

JOHN BLACK, D. B. RICHARDS. 

